The present invention relates to a weight-shedding exercise device and in particular to a novel exercise apparatus which permits and assists the user in achieving optimum weight training benefits by means of reducing the training load at certain critical times, or under certain bodily conditions in a particular training sequence.
Weight training, body building, some forms of physical therapy and other types of exercise involving exertion against resistance typically employ either weight lifting of traditional barbells, or use of exercise machines, such as the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,302 to Keiser, et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,097 to Blickman similarly discloses a classic weight lifting apparatus with a plurality of weights mounted upon a rod, and a sliding bolt assembly with a bar, together used to selectively secure a lower weight to the stack.
The prior art also shows various devices for recording and monitoring exercise data, including those shown in the Flavell patent, the Atlantis SX2 machine and U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,568.
Another exercise device using isometrics is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,424 to Barnett, which enables the user to push and pull, using one arm against the other, through a complicated series of lever assemblies and pullies.
Still another isometric device is disclosed in Russian Physical Inst. Disclosure No. 469,457 by Pavlov to provide exercise for bedridden patients, providing attachment of auxiliary plates to a central load plate through use of electromagnets.
The concept of displaying biofeedback data on an ergometric bicycle exercise device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,021 to Chisles III, which further calls for fixed load setting, of little applicability to weight lifting devices.
However, none of the known prior art devices confront, or solve, the problem of providing a simple and inexpensive method to give the user the benefits and advantages of selectively reducing the training load for the last several repetitions of a set of weight lifting exercises or the like.
It is known that weight lifters, when utilizing an exercise machine, will often provide each other with assistance to achieve elevation of a given weight or training load for the last several repetitions of an exercise set. It is at this point of near exhaustion, where the person exercising would find it difficult, impossible, or very possibly dangerous to continue lifting the same weight load, that the greatest benefit and advantages result to improving the muscle system.
Athletes like Arnold Schwarzenegger, the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner and star of the Conan movie series, uses this descending set training method, as Bill Reynolds, Editor-in-Chief of Muscle and Fitness, has stated in an article entitled "Blast to the Max with Descending Sets", in the July 1983 edition. Accordingly, Mr. Schwarzenegger trains with a partner, who strips weights from the barbells, at near the point of failure to thereby enable Mr. Schwarzenegger to force three or four more repetitions.
Rather than requesting assistance to reduce the perceived training load at the crucial and final portion of an exercise set, it is, of course, possible for the weight lifter to terminate the exercise, manually reduce the training load and then continue the exercise cycle. This procedure has many disadvantages not the least of which is that the brief time required to manually reduce the training load would substantially reduce the training benefit. Also, of course, there is the considerable inconvenience in stopping and starting an exercise at or close to the point of near exhaustion.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a means for rapidly reducing the training load by weight shedding in order to achieve optimum training results.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide weight shedding means which will shed the amount of weight desired by the user, neither more nor less, and allow such selection to be made without substantial chance of error.
It is another objection of this invention to provide an exercise apparatus with weight shedding means that can be responsive to biofeedback from the user, including such factors as temperature, muscle strain and pulse rate, so as to automatically shed weights at the proper point for maximum physiological benefit.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a safety switch which permits the user to shed weight, whether under manual control or biofeedback or otherwise, if sudden exhaustion, accident or the like should be encountered.
It is a still further and general object of the present invention to provide an exercise device that can be programmed to shed weights in accordance with a predetermined formula or plan, based for instance on time or number of repetitions without further user intervention.